NAPEX Leadership Team 

After his graduate studies in applied physics at Cornell University, Vince began his professional career with IBM as a staff scientist at the East Fishkill Development Lab and as a member of the Yorktown/EF GaAs MESFET development team. His emphasis was on advanced III-V microelectronic device development and process integration. Vince was later responsible for the technical direction of the GaAs Engineering Development Lab at IBM Federal Systems division. There he developed Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) based on MODFET, HEMT, and HBT structures. He also was the principal investigator of a joint IBM/Cornell Nanofabrication Facility project using electron beam lithography for high-performance MMICs. Vince also served as an interdivisional technical liaison for thin films and was involved with flat panel display (AMLCD-TFT) process development for the Yorktown TFT team.

Vince later joined Eastman Kodak Research Labs in Rochester, NY as a senior member of the technical staff, working on process integration for MEMS based microfluidic devices.

Vince, thereafter, had the opportunity to return to his alma mater and joined the Cornell Nanofabrication Facility (CNF) as a research staff member. While at CNF, he was responsible for process development and technical direction for reactive ion etching and atomic layer deposition. He also served as the leader of the NNIN and NNCI plasma etch working groups for about 20 years, conducting numerous workshops and symposia in plasma etching and ALD. Following his retirement from Cornell, Vince continues to be active as an independent research consultant and is part of the leadership team of the newly formed North American Plasma Etch Exchange (NAPEX) and the EuroNanoLab/GlobalNanoLab etch working groups.

Ling Xie is a Senior Principal Scientist at the Center for Nanoscale Systems (CNS), Harvard University, with more than 30 years of experience in micro- and nano-semiconductor fabrication. She has extensive hands-on expertise across the full process flow, including lithography, etching, thin film deposition, and process integration for advanced semiconductor technologies. She obtained her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering and began her career at Kodak working on CCD image sensors, followed by Lucent, where she focused on 3D optical switches, before joining CNS. At Harvard, Ling collaborates widely with faculty research groups to etch precise structures in diamond, silicon, and III–V materials, supporting cutting-edge projects in nano- and quantum technologies. In addition to her technical work, she has organized academic seminars in nanotechnology and quantum technology for more than 15 years, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Lavendra Mandyam a Senior Process Engineer specializes in dry etching and plasma deposition techniques, with extensive experience in advanced nanofabrication and semiconductor processing. At nano@Stanford, he supports researchers in complex process development, equipment operation, and optimization of plasma-based fabrication techniques. He is also actively involved in user education, cleanroom training, hands-on mentorship, and promoting safe and reliable processing practices. Through NAPEX, Lavendra brings his expertise in plasma etching and shared-facility operations to help build a collaborative community for exchanging processes, technical knowledge, troubleshooting experience, and best practices across academic nanofabrication facilities. 

Durga Gajula is the Fabrication Support Manager at the Institute for Matter and Systems (IMS) at Georgia Tech, with extensive experience in plasma etching, semiconductor process development, and micro- and nanofabrication. His technical expertise spans ICP/RIE and DRIE processes, lithography, thin-film deposition, MEMS fabrication, advanced packaging, and semiconductor process integration. At Georgia Tech, Durga leads fabrication support and process development across shared cleanroom facilities, working closely with academic researchers, industry partners, and external institutions to develop and optimize advanced fabrication processes. He is also actively involved in hands-on technical training, workforce development, industry collaborations, and expanding shared nanofabrication capabilities.Through NAPEX, Durga promotes cross-institutional collaboration and the practical exchange of plasma-etch recipes, process knowledge, troubleshooting experience, and best practices across the nanofabrication community.